Recent Discovery of Diverse Prophages Located in Genomes of spp. and Their Implications for Bacterial Pathogenicity, Environmental Fitness, Genome Evolution, Food Safety, and Public Health.

Bacteria in the genus , including at least 152 species, thrive in marine and estuarine environments and are frequently detected in aquatic products worldwide. Of these, 12 species have been implicated in human infectious diseases, such as the life-threatening pandemic cholera, acute gastroenteritis, and severe sepsis. Nevertheless, molecular mechanisms of their pathogenesis are not fully uncovered yet. Prophages are found prevalent in spp. genomes, carrying a number of genes with various functions. In this review, we deciphered the evolutionary relationship between prophages and species and highlighted the impact of prophages on the bacterial pathogenicity, environmental fitness, and genome evolution, based on 149 newly discovered intact prophages located in the genomes of 82 spp., which we searched and collected from Web of Science Core Collection in the most recent 5 years. The effects of prophages on resistance to superinfection, strain competition, and their regulation were also discussed. This review underscored crucial roles of prophages in shaping spp. genomes and their implications for food safety and public health.